Hillside Infant School

Hillside Infant School Northwood Way, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 1RX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Leaders do not have a clear, strategic view of the overall performance of the school. They focus too much on detail rather than the big picture.  Leaders do not analyse the information available to them in sufficient depth to enable precise planning for improvement. Consequently, improvements are slow.  Leaders have not ensured that information for parents on the school’s website reflects current practice.  More-able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to extend their learning because teachers and leaders have focused on pupils reaching the expected levels for their age.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable. There is not enough good teaching.  Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement because it is not always clear what learning is intended to take place. Therefore children do not make as much progress as they could.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of

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This is a school that requires improvement

development at the end of Reception remains significantly below average.  Pupils do not make enough progress, particularly in mathematics. Girls do less well than boys in this subject.

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The school has the following strengths

 The school’s emphasis on promoting the rights of children has had a positive impact on the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils because they know they have a right to be safe and listened to.  The school’s work to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils has been successful in narrowing the gap between this group and others currently in the school.  In 2015 pupils in Year 2 made good progress from low starting points in reading and writing.  Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They ensure that their statutory duties are met. Members of the governing body have a range of skills and experiences relevant to the running of a school.  Leaders have correctly identified areas of the school’s performance that need to improve.  The quality of care, guidance and support continues to be a strength of the school. Pupils from a wide range of cultural backgrounds get on well together.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop sharply focused action plans to speed up the rate of improvement in the school by: identifying milestones by which progress can be measured demonstrating how improvements will be checked, by whom and how often enabling governors to hold leaders to account with increased rigour.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that it is consistently good by: making sure that more-able pupils are sufficiently challenged in all curriculum areas, especially mathematics ensuring that lessons, including in the early years, are structured so that the purpose of each activity is clear.  Improve outcomes for pupils by: using available assessment information to gain an overview of how different groups perform, including the more able creating focused plans to tackle any gaps in performance and monitoring the impact of actions taken using information about pupils’ progress to set ambitious targets for groups of pupils on a regular and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The rate of improvement in the school is slow because leaders do not have an accurate overall view of the school’s performance. Leaders are not acting with sufficient urgency and focus to address the gaps in performance that have occurred over the last three years.  Plans for improvement lack precise detail on exactly what actions will be undertaken, and what impact is expected from these. It is unclear how leaders and governors will know whether their plans are on track. This is because there are no milestones set by which leaders can measure their progress and there are no regular checks planned. It is unclear who will check on progress and when. Leaders do not use their analysis of pupils’ progress to inform their improvement planning. For example, they plan some actions to improve the quality of teaching in mathematics, but do not state how much improvement they expect to see in pupils’ outcomes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that information for parents published on the school’s website is accurate and reflects current practice in the school.  Leaders have created a stable and loyal staff team who are committed to improving outcomes for the pupils they serve. Teachers and other members of staff receive appropriate professional development for their role. They are set targets for their performance which are based on improvements in outcomes for pupils.  Results for the last three years show that the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school has widened year on year. Leaders have allocated the additional funding from the pupil premium to support these pupils effectively. As a result recent school information shows that the gap between disadvantaged pupils currently in the school and others is now starting to narrow.  Additional funding to support the development of PE and sport is used effectively. It is used to provide

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

professional development for teachers, to employ a specialist teaching assistant and to extend the opportunities pupils have to participate in inter-school sports events.  The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. Alongside the development of literacy and numeracy skills, pupils study a range of subjects. These include science, where they are learning how to make predictions, and geography, where they are learning about the wildlife in rainforests. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in clubs both before and after school. These clubs provide further opportunities for pupils to extend their learning.  The school’s commitment to promoting the rights of the child underpins the curriculum and forms a golden thread that pervades all the school’s work. This theme also strongly supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are proud of the languages they speak, and celebrate each

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

other’s achievements and cultures. As a result, they are prepared for life in modern Britain. They develop a strong sense of the needs of others at a relatively early age and are self-confident.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school Governors are well informed and committed to supporting the development of the school. They work closely with the junior school on the same site, developing shared policies and procedures where appropriate. Governors have undertaken training to help them understand information about pupils’ progress. Consequently, they ask relevant questions of leaders to hold them to account. They make sure that leaders other than the headteacher present reports to them, so that they gather a range of views and evidence. Governors know where the gaps in the school’s performance are. They were disappointed in the low levels of attainment in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and are pleased that, with ongoing support and checks from the local authority and leaders, this is now improving. They also identify that performance in mathematics is lagging behind that in English.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have ensured that policies and procedures in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

relation to safeguarding have been reviewed and updated regularly. From a very young age, pupils are aware of their right to be safe. Coupled with the strong caring ethos, this creates a school where any concerns are raised early and dealt with swiftly. Leaders have ensured that they are appropriately trained, and all staff are too. For example, members of staff have recently completed training relating to the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable. As a result, pupils make inconsistent progress, particularly in mathematics. More-able pupils are not challenged to deepen their learning.  In some lessons, pupils do not understand what they are required to do, and therefore progress stalls. For example, in a guided reading session inspectors asked pupils who were colouring in a worksheet what they were doing. The pupils were unable to read the instruction at the top of the worksheet so assumed they needed to colour the pictures. On examination of previous work in their folders, the inspector found that this is a regular occurrence.  In Key Stage 1 transitions from one activity to another are sometimes noisy. It takes too long to change from one activity to another because pupils do not listen to the teacher’s instructions and learning is delayed.  In mathematics, pupils revisit concepts that they have already grasped. Evidence in books shows that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

little progress is made over time. More-able pupils answer all the questions correctly most of the time, showing that they are capable of being stretched to extend their thinking further. In English books progress over time is more evident and pupils start to use paragraphs and speech marks well.  The school has revised its marking policy and leaders check that teachers’ comments reflect their new policy. As a result, feedback to pupils about their work is provided consistently, and pupils usually refine their work as a result.  Pupils who fall behind the expected levels for their age are identified by the inclusion team. Effective teaching, pinpointed at the specific gaps in their learning, results in them catching up with their peers quickly.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The school’s work in this area is strongly supported by an emphasis on promoting the rights of children.  Pupils say they are safe, and know who keeps them safe. They also know that anyone who puts another’s safety at risk will be sent to speak to the headteacher. Many pupils told inspectors about their right to be safe and to be listened to. On occasion, their knowledge of this has enabled them to tell adults that they are not safe when outside school. As a result, school leaders have been able to alert the appropriate authorities and take action to address the pupils’ concerns.  Pupils are confident in speaking to visitors, and demonstrate a high level of awareness of the needs of others for their age. When one pupil told an inspector she had no friends another immediately offered to be her friend.  Pupils’ views are respected and taken into account. Their comments have resulted in amendments to the

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Personal development and welfare

policy for supporting those with medical needs. For example, they requested that members of staff did not ask pupils to ‘come for their medicine’ in front of the whole class.  Bullying is rare because pupils learn to respect and accept others. Parents say that rare incidents have been dealt with effectively by the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and courteous. Pupils from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures treat each other with respect and play well together.  Members of staff establish routines which promote positive behaviour from the first day that pupils enter the school. They learn how to line up and how to join in with group activities.  Parents say that pupils in the school behave well, and they are confident that teachers and leaders will deal with any issues that arise swiftly and effectively. Teachers report any incidents of poor behaviour and leaders review these. Plans are put in place to support any who need help to improve their behaviour.  Overall attendance is good, but the number of pupils who are persistently absent has risen. Leaders are tackling this by working with individual families and, as a result, the attendance of these pupils is starting to improve.

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Behaviour

 Sometimes low-level disruption hinders learning in Key Stage 1. Pupils talk while the teacher is talking and do not always respond promptly when asked to be quiet.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ starting points are below those typical for their age, especially in communication and language. In 2015, the proportion reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception was below average at just over half. This means that too many pupils are not well prepared for Year 1.  In 2015, around seven of every ten pupils in Year 1 reached the expected standard in phonics (letters and the sounds that they make). This is just below average.  Across all year groups more-able pupils do not achieve as well as they could. This is because leaders and teachers focus on ensuring that pupils reach the levels expected for their age. This leaves the more able insufficiently challenged.  Teachers work hard to meet the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language and, as a result, by the end of Year 2 there is no significant gap between their achievement and that of others in the school.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils in Year 2 in 2015 achieved broadly average levels in reading and writing, but did not do so well in mathematics. These results represent good progress because they started Key Stage 1 from exceptionally low starting points.  Over recent years, the gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school has widened. However, leaders have taken recent action to address this. They note whether disadvantaged pupils arrive at school ready to learn, having practised their reading at home and with their PE kits available on the appropriate days. If pupils are not ready to learn members of staff address this, for example by reading with pupils at the start of day. As a result, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others currently in the school is narrowing.  Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs make similar progress to others in the school. Leaders take every opportunity to ensure that individual needs are met. The sports coach has been

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

trained to deliver some occupational therapy exercises and, as a result, identified pupils are making significant gains in physical skills.  The inclusion team, led by the inclusion manager, plan carefully targeted additional input for individual pupils who are not yet reaching the expected standard. For example, the inclusion team worked closely with pupils in Year 1 who did not reach the expected standard in reading at the end of Reception. By the end of one term, almost half of these pupils had caught up with their peers.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is variable. Some learning areas are inviting and attractive, while in others the purpose of the activity is not clear. For example, teachers had set up an activity where children could cut and stick pictures from a catalogue into a book. A few children understood that this activity involved writing at the side of the pictures, and made a good attempt at words such as ‘tunnel’ and ‘scooter’. Most, however, were unclear what the activity involved and stuck the pictures randomly without practising or extending their literacy skills.  Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage were extremely low in 2013 and 2014. Although measures have been taken to address this, and the results in 2015 were greatly improved, they remain below the national average. An assessment of the current Reception year indicates that standards should rise again this year. Unfortunately school information shows that some children are already

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Early years provision requires improvement

slipping behind, particularly in the areas of number and shape, space and measure.  Teachers and other adults do not consistently make effective use of opportunities to extend children’s language skills. For example, in one lesson children were comparing lengths of ribbon. In one group, the adult used precise words such as ‘long’ and ‘short’, enabling children to use these words confidently and accept correction when they made a mistake. In the other group, the adult did not use precise language and as a result children made less progress.  Leadership of the early years provision is shared between senior leaders and the early years leader. Since the very weak outcomes in 2013 and 2014 the local authority have also provided significant support and advice to the school. The school does not have a long-term plan for improving the early years provision with sharply focused actions leading to measurable targets for success. Consequently, improvements in

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Early years provision requires improvement

the provision are too slow.  Leaders make sure that the assessments they make about children’s progress are accurate. They do this by checking their work across the school, and with other schools. The local authority have also checked that assessments are accurate.  Children settle easily into the early years provision because the level of care is good. They feel safe and cared for, and reflect the confidence their parents have in the school. Boys and girls from diverse backgrounds get on well together and play harmoniously. Children behave well, and quickly learn routines such as tidying up and when they need to be quiet and listen to adults.  Leaders and teachers work hard to involve parents in their child’s education. They visit families at home, and encourage them to come into school to help their children settle. Leaders work alongside the children’s centre on the same site and have delivered workshops for parents.

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School details

Unique reference number 102434 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 10010953

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Infant School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 232 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Angela Flux Headteacher Chris Drake Telephone number 020 8249 6860 Website www.hillsideinfant.org.uk Email address hillsideinf@hillingdonschools.org.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 January 2011

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Information about this school

 Hillside Infant School works closely with a junior school and a children’s centre which are located on the same site. Some governors sit on the governing bodies of both schools, and the Vice-Chair of Governors at Hillside Infants is the Chair of Governors at the junior school.  The school has two classes in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Children attend the Nursery part-time from the age of three. Depending on their date of birth, pupils may receive three, four or five terms of Nursery education before joining Reception.  Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. The largest groups in school are White British and ‘Other White’ backgrounds. The main communities represented within this latter group are those from Portuguese and Eastern European backgrounds. A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, and many of these are at an early stage of learning English.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is just below average.  Around one in every ten pupils is eligible for free school meals.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors conducted observations in ten lessons across all classes and year groups. They also scrutinised pupils’ books and looked at information about their progress and attainment.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, other members of staff, a group of governors including the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors spoke to pupils in lessons, at breaktimes and in a more formal setting. They heard some pupils read.  A wide range of documentation was scrutinised including the procedures for safeguarding, checks on the suitability of staff to work with children, the school’s plans for improvement and minutes from governing body meetings.  Inspectors considered 19 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and also information gathered through the school’s most recent parent questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Gaynor Roberts, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Karla Martin-Theodore Ofsted Inspector Martina Martin Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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